1:35 Flak43 Gun barrel with body for AA Gun

Flak 43 gun barrel with the weapon body, 1:35 scale

An accessory for modelers who build the German Flak 43 antiaircraft gun or a vehicle with this weapon in 1:35 scale. It is not a model of the weapon but a replacement for the barrel; the name gives the body of the weapon too. It is precisely the barrel that is most visible on a model, and inaccuracy in its shape is spotted even by a layman.

The real subject

The Flak 43 was a German antiaircraft gun of 3.7 cm caliber from the later period of the Second World War, simplified in design against the older types of the same caliber. It was used in towed as well as vehicle-mounted form, so it also turns up on models of self-propelled antiaircraft vehicles. Modelers build it above all for the striking silhouette of the carriage and the long barrel.

Usage tips

Cut the original barrel off as close to the carriage as possible and level the mating surface with abrasive paper, so that the replacement sits on the centerline. Degrease the part before gluing and let it dry off, otherwise the base coat may not hold. Glue with cyanoacrylate glue and line the barrel up against both the vertical and the horizontal, because on a weapon set at elevation every deviation is conspicuous. Before painting, lightly roughen the surface and apply a base coat. Match the shade to the rest of the model and bring out only the muzzle and the edges where the weapon was handled.

Who the accessory is for

• Builders of antiaircraft hardware in 1:35 scale
• Modelers who do not want to fill the seam on a split barrel
• Competition builders for whom accuracy of shape decides
• Those who can cut the original part off and seat a replacement on the centerline

This is an accessory part, not a model of the weapon or the vehicle. It is supplied unpainted; the base kit, the paints and the glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.